Haikyuu! Reaching New heights

The gym was almost empty—just the four of us standing across the net.

I had expected a simple training session after practice.

Instead, Mayu had other plans.

"You keep talking about getting stronger," she said, spinning a volleyball in her hands. "Let's see if you actually are."

Behind her stood Satsuki Aoyama, her team's setter.

Beside me stood Hana Tanaka, one of their wing spikers.

I blinked. "Wait… this isn't a 1v1?"

Mayu smirked. "Nope. 2v2."

I glanced at Hana, who grinned. "Guess we're teammates, Hinata."

Satsuki adjusted her elbow pads. "First to 15 points. No subs. No excuses."

I grinned. "Fine. Let's go."

The ref blew the whistle.

Game on.

Team 1 – Hinata & Hana

✔ Hinata – Outside Hitter (Speed, explosiveness, and unpredictable attacks)

✔ Hana – Wing Spiker (Strong fundamentals, great positioning, and steady hands)

Team 2 – Mayu & Satsuki

✔ Mayu – Outside Hitter (Smart, balanced, and nearly unbeatable on defense)

✔ Satsuki – Setter (Excellent ball control and playmaking skills)

Mayu smirked. "Hope you can keep up, Hinata."

I smirked back. "Hope you don't regret challenging me."

Hana served first.

The ball floated cleanly over the net.

Satsuki received it easily, already shifting into position.

Then—without hesitation—she flicked a perfect set to Mayu.

I jumped high, ready to block.

Mayu didn't spike.

Instead—she lightly tipped the ball over.

BAM!

The ball hit the ground before Hana could reach it.

Point: Mayu & Satsuki.

Score: 0-1.

I clenched my fists.

'Damn… she's too good at reading me.'

Mayu smirked. "Too predictable."

I exhaled. 'Fine. Then I'll stop being predictable.'

Next rally—Mayu served.

The ball came in fast.

I stepped up—received it cleanly.

Hana moved into position. "Here!"

I flicked the ball up, setting it for her instead of attacking myself.

Mayu rushed to block.

But at the last second—Hana switched her shot, sending the ball down the line.

BAM!

Mayu couldn't reach it in time.

Point: Us.

Score: 1-1.

I grinned. "You're not the only one who can change tactics."

Mayu narrowed her eyes.

"Alright then, Hinata. Let's really play."

The next few points were a war.

✔ Mayu's defense was nearly impossible to break.

✔ Satsuki's sets were too clean, making it easy for Mayu to attack.

✔ Hana was incredibly steady, keeping our plays alive.

But—

✔ My speed was pushing them to their limits.

Every time they thought they had me figured out, I adjusted.

I jumped late.

I tipped instead of spiked.

I switched attack angles at the last second.

And slowly—we started taking control.

Score: 7-5 (Us).

We had a small lead—but Mayu wasn't giving up.

She wiped sweat from her forehead.

"Alright, Satsuki. Let's go full speed."

Satsuki nodded. "Got it."

The next serve came.

Satsuki set to Mayu—but this time, Mayu jumped higher than ever.

'Crap—she's spiking at full power!'

I jumped to block.

But Mayu tilted her wrist mid-air—changing direction completely.

The ball shot toward the far sideline.

Hana dived—somehow keeping it alive.

The ball shot up. A messy pass.

I didn't hesitate.

I sprinted—jumped—swung with everything I had.

BAM!

The ball slammed past Mayu's block.

Point: Us.

Final Score: 15-12.

We won.

..

I landed, panting hard.

Hana laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Damn, that was fun!"

Mayu sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Tch. You actually beat me."

I grinned. "Told you I was getting stronger."

She smirked. "Yeah, yeah. But next time, I'm not losing."

Satsuki chuckled. "I'd say we all got stronger from this."

I nodded.

'Yeah. This was exactly what I needed.'

I clenched my fists.

One step closer.

One step closer to becoming unstoppable. 

..

The gym was still buzzing from our 2v2 match.

Hana stretched, grinning. "Man, that was intense."

Mayu sighed, crossing her arms. "Tch. I still hate losing."

I smirked. "Then next time, don't lose."

She rolled her eyes. "Just wait. I'll get my revenge."

I laughed, still catching my breath. The match had pushed me to my limits, but it also taught me something important—

✔ Speed alone wasn't enough.

✔ Reading the game was just as important.

✔ And adaptability would make the difference between winning and losing.

I clenched my fists.

'This is it. I can feel myself getting stronger.'

But just as I thought we could rest for the night—

Matsuda-sensei walked into the gym.

And the look on his face told me—we had bigger things to worry about.

Matsuda-sensei gathered the team the next day.

He dropped a folder on the floor in front of us.

"Next match—we're playing Aokiri Middle School."

Izumi blinked. "Wait… THE Aokiri?"

Kenji frowned. "The one that went to nationals last year?"

Matsuda-sensei nodded. "Yeah. Them."

Silence.

Aokiri was on a different level than any team we had faced before.

✔ A structured, well-trained club team.

✔ Powerful spikers and precise setters.

✔ A defense that rarely lets anything hit the floor.

I felt a thrill run through me.

'A real test.'

I grinned. "Alright. When do we play them?"

Matsuda-sensei smirked.

"In two weeks."

Kenji groaned. "Oh, come on!"

Matsuda-sensei opened the folder.

Aokiri's Starters:

✔ Ryo Takahashi – Captain, Outside Hitter (A balanced player with incredible endurance.)

✔ Masato Koga – Setter (Controls the game with deceptive sets and insane accuracy.)

✔ Daiki Yamada – Middle Blocker (A towering wall at the net, excellent at shutting down attacks.)

✔ Toru Saito – Opposite Hitter (A powerful left-handed attacker, hard to read.)

✔ Hikaru Inoue – Wing Spiker (Fast and aggressive, works well with Koga's sets.)

✔ Shun Matsui – Libero (One of the best defenders in the region.)

Matsuda-sensei looked at us.

"They're strong. Way stronger than Chihaya."

Kōji muttered, "Yeah… we're screwed."

Arai clenched his fists. "No. We can beat them."

Kenji scoffed. "How? They're better than us at everything."

I smirked. "Then we just have to get better than them."

Matsuda-sensei sighed. "Alright, listen up. We have two weeks to close the gap."

That meant—training like never before.

✔ Defensive Overhaul – Izumi, Daichi, and I needed to survive Aokiri's aggressive spikes.

✔ Blocking Focus – Kōji had to become a real wall.

✔ Set Variety – Kenji needed to create plays we hadn't used before.

✔ More Attackers – Arai and Daichi had to step up and take pressure off me.

Kenji sighed. "You mean… hell training again?"

Matsuda-sensei smirked. "Worse. Twice as hard."

Izumi groaned. "I want to quit."

I grinned. "I want to start right now."

After practice, I stayed behind.

I kept thinking about Mayu's defense. The way she read my movements.

If I was going to face Aokiri's blockers and defenders, I needed more than just speed.

I needed a way to beat players taller, stronger, and smarter than me.

I took a deep breath.

'What if… I can change my spike mid-air?'

I jumped.

✔ Instead of committing to a spike, I held my swing for half a second.

✔ Instead of aiming for pure power, I practiced feinting mid-air.

✔ Instead of relying on speed, I focused on reading the blockers.

I kept going.

Jump. Change angle. Spike.

Jump. Fake. Tap.

Jump. Adjust mid-air. Attack.

Over and over—until my legs felt like jelly.

But I wasn't stopping.

Because if I wanted to beat Aokiri—

I had to fly higher than ever before.